Gransnet forums

Ask a gran

Can anyone explain why Christians feel the vaccine is wrong?

(67 Posts)
OnwardandUpward Mon 26-Jul-21 20:38:30

So, I just found this news story www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-57958358 and I am genuinely confused about why some Christians are against the vaccine. Some Christians have had a go at me for getting vaccinated and told me that the vaccine is "anti Christian". What they haven't explained is WHY.
Up til now I thought those opposed to the jab have had very different ideas. I am a bit confused. Is there something in the bible that says NO Vaccine? If there is, I haven't seen it.

OnwardandUpward Mon 26-Jul-21 23:53:51

Is it? Thanks.
I do think its morally wrong to use fetal cells, even cloned ones but Im vaccinated and Im not really regretting it, Im grateful for it while a bit hmm

I never knew how vaccines were made before and I do now see why many are upset. From what I can see the RC Church may be against it

nanna8 Tue 27-Jul-21 00:00:57

I know just one person at my church who won’t have the vaccination and for her it is because of using foetal cells. She is a retired Pastor’s wife and feels strongly about it. That is a Presbyterian church and most of the older ones have had their vaccinations. The younger ones haven’t been able to get it yet but I assume they will when they can. I don’t like the idea of foetal cells, either, but not being a scientist I don’t really understand the circumstances .

CafeAuLait Tue 27-Jul-21 00:01:30

Yes, the picture is from protests this past weekend.

CafeAuLait Tue 27-Jul-21 00:02:24

www.nebraskamed.com/COVID/you-asked-we-answered-do-the-covid-19-vaccines-contain-aborted-fetal-cells

Here's an interesting article I found about fetal cells and Covid vaccines.

Skye17 Tue 27-Jul-21 00:17:44

OnwardandUpward

Yes that Hillsong one is a huge church, but I don't know much about it.

As far as I can see I think Monica hit the nail on the head for most people, but there may be something in the bible that is stopping some people. I challenged an American friend why she was condemning me for having the vaccine and she provided me with a link cogforlife.org/prove-it/?fbclid=IwAR1P0TdGbKcfrT3QBAvZ-f8LQQ0g9idm45IvS8gN_E6SHRUl2KR9qt4W5Qc

To be honest it read like gobbledygook to me, but I think that the standards of the FDA in America are not so good as our standards here in UK so maybe that's another reason why?

I wish I didn't have an autistic brain!

I know the Bible pretty well. There is nothing in there that I can think of, or have ever heard about, to stop people having vaccines.

The article you linked to is to do with cell lines, that originated (or may have originated) from aborted foetuses decades ago, being used in the manufacture or testing of vaccines. The original foetal cells have been reproduced and reproduced in labs since then to manufacture many more cells, which I think are sold to scientists to use. Some people don’t want anything to do with any product that has involved using these cell lines.

Although I don’t like abortion, I think that receiving a vaccine that may have involved, somewhere in the process of producing it, cells descended from a foetus killed in the 1970s doesn’t seem like much of an involvement with abortion to me. I think it’s less bad than refusing the vaccine and so putting myself at higher risk of severe illness or death, plus putting other people at higher risk of illness or death by being infected by me. The lesser of two evils, if you like. The other Christians I know think the same.

If someone is refusing the vaccine, I think there would generally be other reasons involved (rational or not), and this one would be brought in as justification.

nanna8 Tue 27-Jul-21 00:23:13

Oh dear, I think our prime minister is a member of Hillsong. Maybe that is why the vaccine rollout is so slow?

freedomfromthepast Tue 27-Jul-21 00:29:31

The biggest reason I have heard from the few people I know who refuse the vaccine here in the US is that it is because it is still an experimental vaccine that has not gone through peer studies. They also believe that the mRNA technology is somehow changing their DNA.

I will admit when it first came out, I was hesitant as well. But I figure that the millions of vaccinated people around the world is a fairly good study, plus, I want to be able to travel!

There is a very vocal group of people who are anti-Covid vaccine. Those people typically are conservatives and Christians. They also seem to follow a fringe group (Q) that believes the Royal family hunts children for fun. Sigh. But they aren't the only ones who are refusing. Just the ones we hear about the most.

So my opinion is that the main reason they wont is because they are convinced that it may not be safe and there may be long term issues years from now. How they came to that conclusion varies though and there are people from all walks of life who refuse it. Not just a certain group.

Also interesting to note, a large portion of anti-vaxxers in the US are liberals. In my experience, my super liberal friends have always been the ones to delay or deny regular childhood vaccines. We have had quite the increase in measles outbreaks here the last 10 years or so.

So I guess my answer is, each person has their own reason for not getting the shot. There are conservatives and liberals, democrats and republicans, a-political and atheists who are refusing the vaccine. It has nothing to do with the bible or it's teachings.

Skye17 Tue 27-Jul-21 00:30:42

Sorry, cross-posted.

The RC church has not come out against Covid vaccines.

‘... the Vatican also made statements on the COVID-19 vaccines. On December 21st, 2020, the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith released a “Note on the Morality of Using Some Anti-COVID-19 Vaccines.” In this document they reiterate the concepts from the prior documents, stating that it is licit to use COVID-19 vaccines that are associated with aborted fetal tissue if no reasonable alternatives exist’.

The CDF did also say that ‘Both pharmaceutical companies and governmental health agencies are therefore encouraged to produce, approve, distribute and offer ethically acceptable vaccines that do not create problems of conscience for either health care providers or the people to be vaccinated.’
mycatholicdoctor.com/our-services/vaccines/

Skye17 Tue 27-Jul-21 00:33:22

nanna8

Oh dear, I think our prime minister is a member of Hillsong. Maybe that is why the vaccine rollout is so slow?

Hillsong Church isn’t actually against vaccines. Please see my post at 22:48.

Skye17 Tue 27-Jul-21 01:01:54

freedomfromthepast

The biggest reason I have heard from the few people I know who refuse the vaccine here in the US is that it is because it is still an experimental vaccine that has not gone through peer studies. They also believe that the mRNA technology is somehow changing their DNA.

I will admit when it first came out, I was hesitant as well. But I figure that the millions of vaccinated people around the world is a fairly good study, plus, I want to be able to travel!

There is a very vocal group of people who are anti-Covid vaccine. Those people typically are conservatives and Christians. They also seem to follow a fringe group (Q) that believes the Royal family hunts children for fun. Sigh. But they aren't the only ones who are refusing. Just the ones we hear about the most.

So my opinion is that the main reason they wont is because they are convinced that it may not be safe and there may be long term issues years from now. How they came to that conclusion varies though and there are people from all walks of life who refuse it. Not just a certain group.

Also interesting to note, a large portion of anti-vaxxers in the US are liberals. In my experience, my super liberal friends have always been the ones to delay or deny regular childhood vaccines. We have had quite the increase in measles outbreaks here the last 10 years or so.

So I guess my answer is, each person has their own reason for not getting the shot. There are conservatives and liberals, democrats and republicans, a-political and atheists who are refusing the vaccine. It has nothing to do with the bible or it's teachings.

To me, this is a very helpful and interesting comment. What you say fits in with what I have elsewhere

Skye17 Tue 27-Jul-21 01:02:45

heard elsewhere!

OnwardandUpward Tue 27-Jul-21 08:29:45

Skye17

Sorry, cross-posted.

The RC church has not come out against Covid vaccines.

‘... the Vatican also made statements on the COVID-19 vaccines. On December 21st, 2020, the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith released a “Note on the Morality of Using Some Anti-COVID-19 Vaccines.” In this document they reiterate the concepts from the prior documents, stating that it is licit to use COVID-19 vaccines that are associated with aborted fetal tissue if no reasonable alternatives exist’.

The CDF did also say that ‘Both pharmaceutical companies and governmental health agencies are therefore encouraged to produce, approve, distribute and offer ethically acceptable vaccines that do not create problems of conscience for either health care providers or the people to be vaccinated.’
mycatholicdoctor.com/our-services/vaccines/

After I was targetted by some Anti Vax people (who did not like it when I called them anti vax) they said the Pope was against it and gave me authentic looking documentation to "prove" it, but I have since done my own research and found that the Pope has permitted it.

The whole thing is a mess because of people not having it and getting upset with people who have. But all this started with Trump, not covid. Like someone else said, this is all the same people, with a different agenda.

Elizabeth1 Tue 27-Jul-21 08:41:31

I’m with you on this one Monica what’s the story on children getting their Mmr vaccines saving many children dying from childhood diseases

M0nica Tue 27-Jul-21 08:55:06

Everyone seems to be working on the basis that every member of any religious organisation slavishly obeys every edict that comes down from those who lead the organisation and while there will be members who do do that, the majority of members will ignore their religious organisations rules on one thing or the other at some time or another for reasons of conscious or just convenience.

If the Pope had told catholics not to have the vaccine, I suspect that the majority of catholics would have ignored the edict and had the vaccine, in the same way the majority of catholics do not follow the churches teaching on birth control.

I followed the link you gave OnwardsandUpwards you are right it is total gobbledegook. Devoid of any links to reputable scientific research, only links to sites with evidence as unsubstantiated as their own.

Newquay Tue 27-Jul-21 09:08:49

We know folk who have refused vaccinations mostly because they follow American churches and also support Trump-despite being British. They are intelligent people who think they are right. We’ve had a couple of very uncomfortable discussions but now agree to disagree and we just don’t mention the elephant on the sofa. I would add that one of the ladies-in late sixties-is now not at all well at home, on her own, with covid.

Newquay Tue 27-Jul-21 09:11:01

Sorry, posted too soon. DH and I are long term committed Christians and all the folk we know have been vaccinated. We have no problems and trust the scientists and medics.

Witzend Tue 27-Jul-21 09:12:45

Now I come to think of it, I had my 2nd jab in a SW London church hall.

Smileless2012 Tue 27-Jul-21 09:19:43

Only those Christians who have told you it's "anti Christian" to have the vaccine can tell you why Onwardandupward, and perhaps any Christian GN's who feel the same way.

Neither we nor our Christian friends are against the vaccine.

Ladyleftfieldlover Tue 27-Jul-21 09:21:29

I am good old CofE and don’t know anyone who has refused a vaccine. Indeed some of them were champing at the bit to get their jabs pdq!

OnwardandUpward Tue 27-Jul-21 09:54:02

I am double vaccinated and I already was before I was threatened by the anti vax brigade and before the Christians in an online group I'm in laid into me.

It's shocking to think people are dying because they are told the vaccine is wrong. At the time of the elections in America I watched a clip of a church service that someone showed me where the pastor was saying "If you vote for Biden you are NOT a Christian". I imagine they are employing the same tactics with the vaccine because I have read online that parents have threatened to throw their kids out if they find out they have had the vaccine.

Imagine. So where is the love?

geekesse Tue 27-Jul-21 10:07:08

OnwardandUpward, you said ‘I was threatened by the anti vax brigade and before the Christians in an online group I'm in laid into me.’

I trust you have now left that group?

OnwardandUpward Tue 27-Jul-21 10:40:43

I have not left the group yet because there are thousands in the group. I was hoping that some of the others may have come out in support, but so far they haven't ...

I've had persecution all along because I've been sharing what I've learned by following Dr Samantha Batt Rawden. Also, my autistic brain. I find change hard and often cling to bad situations because they are habit.

Skye17 Tue 27-Jul-21 11:32:45

OnwardandUpward

I am double vaccinated and I already was before I was threatened by the anti vax brigade and before the Christians in an online group I'm in laid into me.

It's shocking to think people are dying because they are told the vaccine is wrong. At the time of the elections in America I watched a clip of a church service that someone showed me where the pastor was saying "If you vote for Biden you are NOT a Christian". I imagine they are employing the same tactics with the vaccine because I have read online that parents have threatened to throw their kids out if they find out they have had the vaccine.

Imagine. So where is the love?

I haven’t heard of any pastors, American or otherwise, saying, “If you have the vaccine you are NOT a Christian.“ I doubt that would happen - certainly hope not!

While I don’t agree with anyone saying, “If you vote for Biden you are NOT a Christian”, there is a possible reason behind that that doesn’t apply to vaccines. Trump is not pro-abortion, Biden is. Trump stopped funding for abortions outside America. The thinking is, Christians should vote against abortion so vote against Biden.

//people are dying because they are told the vaccine is wrong//
Yes, but people do have a responsibility to think about what they hear for themselves and make their own minds up. So even if they are told rubbish and act on it, it’s not all the fault of the person who told them the rubbish.

It amazes me how some people just believe what they see online and don’t seem to think about how reliable their sources of information are (or aren’t).

indispensableme Tue 27-Jul-21 11:35:43

OnwardandUpward

I've got quite a lot of American friends and yes it's all been Americans saying this.
It's pretty disturbing.
I asked them why they have this belief and they won't say. I wanted to know if there's something in the bible?
I've already had the vaccine so it's too late for me if I've done something terrible.

As soon as I see that this nonsense comes from American church people I know it's going to be rubbish, they're an embarrassment to the vast majority of Americans.

DiscoDancer1975 Tue 27-Jul-21 11:36:42

Well we’re Christians, and have had the vaccines. All of us. I don’t know anyone, Christian or otherwise, who’ve refused it. There are loads of ‘ Christians’ out there who have completed missed what Jesus said, and are doing it themselves.